Different approaches of integrating Lync with Windows 8 Metro app

By: Ashish Agrawal

Lync Metro app with locally running lyncService and Lync client in UI suppression mode

Benefits Drawbacks

Default metro based UI Cannot be uploaded to windows app store

Direct consumption of Lync SDK API’s Side loading based deployment

Total control over User Interface No content sharing/Screen share in UI suppression mode.

  In consistency in Lync client behaviour. Eg: Currently even after successful Sign-out, we are not able to sign in as a different user programmatically.

  No open windows community support since this is a non- standard way of doing app to app communication

  User cannot use the default Lync client app when in UI suppression mode.

  Restart will be required to switch between suppression and non-suppression mode

Lync Metro app with locally running lycnService and Lync client in automation mode.

Benefits Drawbacks

Default metro based UI Cannot be uploaded to windows app store

Direct consumption of Lync SDK API’s Side loading based deployment

All features including screen share and content sharing is available No control on Lync communication UI. Will use only default Lync UI

User can operate with default Lync client independently as well.  

Lync Metro app with self written Lync based VoIP stack

Benefits Drawbacks

Default Metro based UI Time and effort required to build VoIP stack supported by win 8 metro FW

Total control over User Interface  

Store based app deployment  

Lync Desktop app using Lync SDK and Lync client in UI suppression mode

Benefits Drawbacks

No Sideloading required for deployment Entire app will have to be a desktop app

No localhost dependency and direct usage of Lync SDK API’s No content sharing/Screen share in UI suppression mode. From MSDN: “content and resource sharing modalities cannot be used in your application when UI suppression is enabled”

Metro based UI can be faked.

Lync Desktop app using Lync SDK and Lync client in Automation mode (No UI Suppression mode)

Benefits Drawbacks

Metro based UI can be faked. Only default Lync UI will be available

No Sideloading or localhost dependency required for deployment

No support to customize Lync communication UI or features

Access to entire Lync SDK API’s including content and screen sharing

Default Metro app features will be not available.

Direct consumption of all the Lync SDK API’s No control on adding new communication features like integration with Skype etc except for what comes default with lync SDK

Lync Metro app with Lync Web API (Limited features)

Benefits Drawbacks

Default metro based UI Only few Lync features are supported.

Total control over User Interface  

REST-like API • Presence• Group Memberships• Contacts• Privacy Relationships• Scheduled Conferences• Search• Instant Messaging

 

References

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/lync/jj933224.aspx

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/lync/jj933179.aspx#History [This blog says that content sharing in UI suppression mode might be soon enabled]

http://ucwa.lync.com/about/about-ucwa

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/lync/gg132942.aspx

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/lync/jj933180.aspx